Fort Langley’s upcoming new jazz festival is about much more than just music.
It’s also about art – hence the addition of that word in the event title: Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival.
The inaugural festival, which is being held in the village on Saturday, July 28, celebrates the bringing together of music and art, said event art director Elaine Brewer-White.
On the arts end of the festival, an art auction has been incorporated with the Motown review dance at the Fort Langley Community Hall that evening.
There’s a 12-piece band at the 19-and-older event, and while participants dance the night away they can also being bidding on one-of-a kind pieces of art – from pottery and jewelry to paintings and sculptures – explained Brewer-White, one of the auction contributors.
Other local artists participating in the art auction include Janice Robertson, Alan Wylie, Linda Muttitt, Anita Bissett, Paul Wood, Susan Gallick, Judy Nygren, Elaine Brewer-White, Caroline Ashley, Gabrielle Greig, Barb Defago, and Kirn Gill – with a few latecomers expected.
Each piece is displayed online at fortlangleyjazzfest.com, with proceeds from the auction going to support arts education for the 2019 Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival.
While the general festival runs on just the Saturday, the event actually spans two days. It also includes a learning component with jazz workshop and jam on the Sunday – designed for young and emerging artists.
In the meantime, back on the arts front, Brewer-White is also in the throes of organizing another art component to the main festival day.
“It broadens the range of what we represent as a community,” Brewer-White said. “We’re not just about music, we’re about wanting to celebrate and support all the arts, so that’s why – early on when Dave [Quinn] and Karen [Zukas] said they were going to do this – I suggested ‘why don’t we also include an art walk.’ So, that’s what we did.”
Brewer-White is coordinating the said art walk, which will offer a free, one-day self-guided tour of various local art studios and galleries around the village.
“Come check out these creative spaces, from art studios to fine galleries, meet the artists who live and work in the Fort Langley community, enjoy original works of art in many genres and mediums, and watch demonstrations,” Brewer-White said.
There are 13 stops possible along the tour, again with a full listing on the festival website at fortlangleyjazzfest.com.
It’s a new way of inviting the public in to meet the local artists, watch them work, and engage in conversation, Brewer-White said.
“It’s just so rich,” she spoke of the arts community in Fort Langley. “There’s just so many talented artists in our midst.”
The arts walk will feature five galleries or co-ops participating, as well as eight individual artist.
